“You okay?” Ryan mouths, and I nod and force a smile, turning to serve the next person in line. She orders a cocktail I’ve never heard of, so I quickly look down at the laminated chart Ryan gave me to use, showing me what to put in each drink.
An hour later, the bar has died down and I smile when I see a familiar face.
“Hello stranger,” he says, and I instantly feel bad that we haven’t spent any time together since Ryan and I got back together, apart from one family dinner.
“Hey Scott, how are you?” I ask, leaning across the bar to give him a peck on the cheek.
“Good, how are you? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” he says, drumming his fingers on the bar table.
I wince. “I know. I’m sorry. What are you doing tomorrow?” Ryan is just going to have to suck it up, because I don’t want to be the person that ditches her friends the minute she gets into a serious relationship. Marriage. Whatever. Scott was there for me when I was heartbroken and I’ll never forget that.
“I have work all day tomorrow, but I’m free on Wednesday,” he says, smiling welcomingly.
“Shame, you’re busy Wednesday night, Tay,” comes a smooth deep voice from behind me.
I turn and frown. “Busy doing what?” I have two dance classes and that’s about it.
“Busy fucking me,” he says in a serious tone. I look at him, blink twice. Open my mouth, then snap it shut. I swear I thought I just heard him say…
“Did you just say…?”
“Yes,” he says, before I can finish my sentence.
I tighten my lips and narrow my eyes. “Don’t be rude,” I whisper-shout, then turn back to Scott, whose wide-eyes are solely on Ryan. “Sorry,” I mouth, trying to smile a little to make the situation less awkward. Which it doesn’t, at all. I clear my throat and then continue. “Wednesday works fine.”
“You’re not going out with him, Tay,” Ryan says, his tone final.
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Since when do you control my life?”
“Since you’re trying to spend the day alone with a man who clearly wants in your pants,” he says, his eyes still on Scott, who looks like he wants to be anywhere but here right now. And I don’t blame him. Even I want to be anywhere but here. I turn my back to Ryan, hoping he gets the point. Of course, being Ryan he doesn’t, and decides to move in closer, getting in my personal space.
“I don’t want you going somewhere alone with him,” he says, his voice softer now. He must have noticed I was pissed off and is trying a different approach. Smart man.
I give Scott a drink on the house and he goes back to the table with his friends. I really don’t like being spoken to like that in public. If Ryan had his concerns, he should have pulled me aside and spoken to me quietly, not pee all over me in front of anyone within earshot. I serve another three people and I feel his gaze on me the entire time, but I don’t look at him. I just try and pretend he’s not there, which is pretty hard. It’s extremely difficult to ignore a tall, muscled, sexy man, standing there, watching your every move.
“How long are you going to give me the silent treatment?” he asks, standing directly behind me and gripping my waist gently.
I drop the tea towel in my hand and sigh. “And this is why husbands and wives shouldn’t work together.”
He kisses the top of my head, and turns me around to face him. “I was jealous,” he admits. I lift my gaze to him, surprised by his admission.
“Jealous?” I repeat softly, wanting more of an explanation.
“I know you two are just friends, but… he knows you. He knows you well, and I don’t like that. I want you to be only that close with me,” he says, pursing his lips.
“He’s just a friend, Ryan.”
He rubs the back off his neck. “A friend who you were around while we were separated. I don’t know. I’m not good at explaining things. I just don’t like it. I know he has feelings for you; trust me I know. You can deny it all you want, and fuck, I don’t blame him because you’re amazing. But, you’re mine, and I don’t want him even thinking he has a chance.”
“Ryan--”
“And how would you feel if I was hanging around with a female friend?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I puff out a breath, not liking that one bit.
“My point exactly,” he says, looking smug.
I suck in my cheeks. “He doesn’t want me. He knows that we’re only friends. Do you really want me to be the type of person that just ditches all the people that were there for her when my heart was broken?”